Author: admin

[rating:5.0]

( Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010)

608 pgs

Eric Metaxas has a rare gift of helping readers understand not only the events of famous lives, but also their heart, struggles, and victories. In his earlier work on Wilberforce, he highlighted the enormous achievements of a man somewhat forgotten over time. In this book, Metaxas introduces a provocative character to a new generation desperately in need of the same courage and theological tenacity that the German pastor demonstrated during World War Two.

The biography begins, as most do, with Bonhoeffer’s family, which was illustrious. His father was Germany’s most renowned psychiatrist. His family was highly respected and deeply patriotic. Bonhoeffer, a brilliant young man, raised in a brilliant family, appeared headed to a lofty career as a theologian, debating complex theological dogmas with the likes of Harnack and Barth. But then his nation was forced to endure defeat in World War One, and evil forces began emerging like demons out of hell. Metaxas chronicles the pilgrimage of the promising theologian as he tried to determine how one stayed true as a Christian in the midst of an evil and violent society. Sadly, as American society reels under one scandal after another, and as it faces continual assault by forces virulently opposed to God’s standards, this book has much to offer to us today.

If someone is unfamiliar with Bonhoeffer, then this book will introduce you to many of his greatest quotes and insights. He notes for instance: “The whole of world history, there is always one really significant hour—the present . . .” (80-81). Bonhoeffer must face the startling reality that Christianity has become so enmeshed with German culture that it has become hostage to it. He argues that the essence of Christianity is not religion, but Christ (83). He was prophetic in many ways, warning that the Church was in its eleventh hour. While the Protestant Church seemed enamored with its Liberal concepts, it seemed oblivious to the march of evil in its day. Bonhoeffer commented: “A fanfare of trumpets is no comfort to a dying man” (122). Bonhoeffer argued that the Church had tried too hard to make Christ “convenient” to modern man. He noted; “If it is I who determines where God is to be found, then I shall always find a God who corresponds to me in some way, who is obliging, who is connected with my own nature. But if God determines where he is to be found, then it will be in a place which is not immediately pleasing to my nature and which is not at all congenial to me” (137). Bonhoeffer also observed: “If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the opposite direction” (176).

Bonhoeffer is an enigma on many levels. It is said that he saw things on a higher plane than did most of his contemporaries. But, at the same time, he had a wonderful sense of humor and was generally surrounded by laughter. Bonhoeffer also rejected much of his theological training when he insisted that God spoke to His creatures and, without hearing from God, one could not know clearly what to do. He argued that principles could only guide someone so far, and then they had to hear from God (323).

Bonhoeffer became the director for the training of the Confessing Church’s ministers. He believed that ministry flowed out of prayer and communion with God. He called for a new kind of “monasticism” that was not isolated in an abbey, but actively involved in the world. He argued: “Things do exist that are worth standing up for without compromise” (260). While teaching his students about service, Bonhoeffer once entered the dining room and asked if there were some who could help with washing dishes. When no one immediately jumped up to help, Dietrich went back to the kitchen, locked the door, and proceeded to do all the dishes himself, despite the embarrassed pleadings and apologies from his students who found themselves locked out.

Bonhoeffer was not a great orator, but people were always moved by what he said. He noted, “We must be able to speak about our faith so that hands will be stretched out toward us faster than we can fill them . . . Do not try to make the Bible relevant. Its relevance is axiomatic. Do not defend God’s word, but testify to it . . . Trust to the Word. It is a ship loaded to the very limits of its capacity!” (272). One person observed that when you saw Bonhoeffer preaching, “you saw a young man who was entirely in God’s grasp” (277).

Metaxas does not go in to great detail, but he does touch on some of Bonhoeffer’s weaknesses. He mentions that he suffered at times from depression (282). Of course, while battling so much evil, and losing so many friends and family, the passionate German would naturally have battled with feelings of sadness throughout his abbreviated life. Yet he was also commonly described as joyful and filled with laughter. Bonhoeffer also entered into an unusual engagement to a beautiful 18-year-old named Maria, when he was 39. Being imprisoned before they could be wed, they never advanced beyond the engagement.

One observer noted: “There was always something extraordinary about him, even when the circumstances were ordinary” (345). Yet it was in the unusual time of Hitler’s Germany that Bonhoeffer had to work out his theology. As Metaxas says, “To be an ethereal figure who merely talked about God, but somehow refused to get his hands dirty in the real world God had placed him, was bad theology” (361). Bonhoeffer had to work out his ethics so he could deal with an entirely unethical government. He came to believe that the Christian life involved far more than merely avoiding sin. As Metaxas comments: “Here was the rub. One must be more zealous to please God than to avoid sin” (446). Too often Christians are paralyzed from doing any good because they are paranoid about doing anything wrong. Ultimately he came to grips with the fact that he must join in a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler.

What is compelling is that the assassination attempts failed. Bonhoeffer’s fellow conspirators were mostly arrested and many of them executed, yet their plans came to naught. Ultimately the Allied forces defeated Hitler militarily and the Fuhrer took his own life. Yet, Bonhoeffer demonstrated that, regardless of whether you are successful or not, one must allow God to guide you in knowing how to respond to the evil within your society.

Concerning death, Bonhoeffer noted, “. . . we hardly dare admit that we should like death to come to us, not accidentally and suddenly through some trivial cause, but in the fullness of life and with everything at stake. It is we ourselves, and not outward circumstances, who make death what it can be, a death freely and voluntarily accepted” (447).

Those who were with Bonhoeffer at the end of his life saw that he lived what he believed. Said one, “All humility and sweetness; he always seemed to me to diffuse an atmosphere of happiness, of joy in even the smallest event in life, and of deep gratitude for the mere fact that he was alive. . . He was one of the very few men that I have ever met to whom his God was real and ever close to him” (514).

Of course what makes Bonhoeffer’s life so compelling is that he had escaped to America and had been offered a comfortable post teaching theology in New York City where he could safely wait out the war. Yet he claimed that he would have no right to help rebuild Germany if he had not also shared in its sufferings during the war. He therefore returned to Germany where he would be arrested and ultimately executed three weeks before Hitler committed suicide and the warcame to an end.

It would seem, especially in the moral and spiritual climate of America today, that we might learn much from Bonhoeffer. The church of his day had become paralyzed by its close affiliation with its nation’s culture so that it could no longer speak prophetically. While others accused him of being alarmist, Bonhoeffer recognized the peril his church and his nation was facing. And, Bonhoeffer demonstrated what a theology that takes action can look like. Furthermore, even though Bonhoeffer dealt with some of the most evil and unscrupulous fiends in modern history, he was forever a kind, thoughtful, gentleman. He won over many of his guards and would-be tormentors because of his Christ-like conduct toward them. He demonstrated that you can fervently oppose ungodliness without resorting to being ungodly yourself.

Metaxas is an interesting writer. He throws in humorous asides that keep you alert. He also deals with deep theological issues and keeps it within the grasp of readers. This book has won many awards since its release, and rightly so. I recommend it highly, giving it my first “5” out of the reviews I have offered.

As Bonhoeffer once asked, “What are we waiting for? The time is late.” (242).

[rating:3.75]

( Birmingham, AL: New Hope Publishers, 2012)

192 pgs

Daniel Darling is senior pastor of Gages Lake Bible Church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and is the author of numerous books, including Teen People of the Bible (nominated for a Gold Medallion Award), Crash Course, and iFaith.

Let me first say that I found the book very enjoyable, honest, accurate and insightful. I loved the format of writing with interviews of those in this generation who have worked through the issues of faith and church. Dan’s contemporary examples and illustrations hit home to today’s reader (though they may be dated in a few years) and have immediate appeal. Dan challenges many of the outdated and ineffective approaches to connecting with today’s generation. This book is not about reaching the un-churched in today’s generation, or evangelizing the lost. It  is about preventing today’s young people from leaving church and creating an environment where genuine faith can thrive.

I appreciated the matter-of-fact approach Dan takes rather than being accusatory or judgmental on ineffective churches. Dan has a lengthy section on the perils of legalism, as well as various discussions on the “additives” we put in the gospel that should be removed. In many ways I am reminded of Christ’s report card to the 7 churches in Revelation, where he sees both the good they are doing and the destructive things they are doing. This Book is not a diatribe against the church and neither is it a research-intense book, or a ‘blame the other denomination’  book. It is a book that shares suggestions on ways churches, parents, and influencers might create environments for faith to flourish.

A strong feature of this book is the personal interviews with such people as the children of notable Christians such as the daughter of Max Lucado, the son of Josh McDowell, grandson of Billy Graham, the son of Dr James Merritt, and others.

Perhaps the main weakness of this book is that is comes from a father with four young children who have not yet tested their faith and grappled with their beliefs. It is not a book of struggle ending in victory, but of bracing one’s self for what is coming. That being said, the insights given in the interviews are with those who have struggled and kept the faith. It might have also been helpful to have a few interviews with people who left the faith and abandoned the church to hear their stories and reasons for doing so.

Tom Blackaby

[rating:3]

( New York: Harper Collins, 2010)

762 pgs

I have read numerous books on leadership. Many of them provide helpful insights on the crucial topic. Yet I have also found that these books often say many of the same things. At times Christian authors are merely taking what secular writers have produced and creating a baptized version, replete with supporting Bible verses. That is why, along with almost always having a leadership book on the go, I also read biographies. I often find I learn more by studying the lives of particular leaders than I do by reading books devoted solely to the subject of leadership. Of course, in reading a biography, you see flaws and shortcomings as well as successes. While we tend to place successful people on pedestals, no one is without their faults and failures. Perhaps that is what makes them so appealing.

I must confess that I was familiar with the name, Lawrence of Arabia even though I knew almost nothing about him. This biography provided me the opportunity to become introduced to someone whose impact on the world continues to be felt. It also provided an informative survey of a history of the Middle East as well as World War One. For someone who loves history, this was great!

I won’t attempt to relate his entire story here, as it took the author 700 pages to do so. Rather I’ll summarize his life and then mention some interesting leadership issues that arose from the book.

T. E. Lawrence was, like many famous people, the product of a troubled home. His father, had been a British aristocrat, married to a fanatically religious woman, who gave birth to four daughters. Lawrence’s father ultimately abandoned his wife, daughters, and estate, and began a new life with his daughters’ governess. Lawrence of Arabia was illegitimate being born to unwed parents whose relationship was scandalous. Lawrence always felt like his father made a mistake by walking away from his position and possessions. Ironically, perhaps plagued by guilt, Lawrence’s mother became devoutly religious and sought to push her religious convictions on her children. Lawrence, stubbornly resistant, refused to be dominated by his mother. Noted Lawrence: “No trust existed between my mother and myself . . . I always felt that she was laying siege to me, and would conquer if I left a chink unguarded” (124).

As a boy, Lawrence set a goal of becoming a general and a hero by the age of 30 (7). This was not an easy task. Not only was he illegitimate, in an age and society where such a status closed numerous doors of opportunity, but he also stood only 5’5” tall (6). It is fascinating how many short people (men in particular) throughout history have made herculean efforts to loom large in warfare.

Korda introduces his book by claiming: “This book, therefore, is about the creation of the legend, a mythic figure, and about a man who became a hero not by accident, or even by one single act of heroism, but who made himself a hero by design, and did it so successfully that he became a victim of his own fame” (xvii).

Lawrence would become a brilliant, if irregular, student at Oxford University and would commence his adult life as an archeologist in the Middle East. It would be World War One that provided him the opportunity to become the hero of his childhood dreams. The horrific and mindless casualties of trench warfare on the western front in which hundreds of thousands of Europe’s youth charged into the face of cannon and machine gun barrages, provides stark contrast to the colorful and exotic escapades of the battles in the Middle East. Of all the millions of young men who served during World War one, Lawrence of Arabia may well have emerged as the most famous.

Lawrence would become legendary after he was assigned to unite and mobilize the Arab forces, largely Bedouins, into a fighting force that could resist the Turkish army that held Palestine and the Arabian Peninsula. For two years, between 1917-1918, Lawrence would achieve spectacular results and participate in the liberation of Damascus. After the war, he would play a leading role in the eventual creation of the monarchies in Iraq and Jordan. He would then spend most of the remainder of his days serving in the British Army and Air Force. He would become a celebrity in Britain much like Lady Diana would later become. He would become friends with many of the most powerful leaders of his day, including Winston Churchill and Lady Astor. He would also receive numerous decorations and medals that he would routinely refuse. He also wrote several books, his most famous, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which would win him international acclaim and the friendships of many of Britain’s leading authors, including George Bernard Shaw, whose last name he would ultimately borrow for himself. Lawrence was ultimately killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 46.

There are a number of leadership issues that arise from this book. For one, we are confronted with someone with plenty of “demons” in his life which Lawrence struggles his entire life to purge. It is perhaps the flawed heroes such as Admiral Nelson that attract peoples’ sympathy and make such people enigmas to those who study their lives. Lawrence’s life also raises the age-old question of whether history makes great people or great people make history. Korda notes: “Without this war, Lawrence might never have accomplished his ambition, but once it came he was prepared for it, both morally and physically” (xvi). Lawrence demonstrated that he was clearly an unusually talented individual. He was a great writer. He also had a brilliant eye for detail with an enormous and vivid memory. He was also unusually gifted mechanically and would later use that skill to develop vehicles for the navy. He also was gifted at making and retaining friends. Furthermore, Lawrence had an impeccable sense of timing. Often when reading biographies of famous people one is struck by the apparent “luck” that these people had in being in the right place at the right time with the right skills. This is certainly the case with Lawrence.

Nevertheless, Lawrence’s success cannot be attributed merely to luck. There were millions of talented young men involved in World War One who never enjoyed his success. Lawrence was obviously enormously ambitious. Notes Korda, “He always radiated a powerful, even incandescent enthusiasm and curiosity that seemed to light up everything he saw, however, weary, footsore, or sick he was” (177). Lawrence also drove himself well beyond what most people could have stood. He seemed to despise his human weakness and drove himself to become indifferent to pain or hunger or sickness. While working on his thesis for Oxford, he spent a summer in the Middle east in which he walked 1,000 miles in temperatures often as high as 107 degrees, while visiting 36 castles for his research (169). Notes Korda, “He lived at some point beyond mere stoicism, and behaved as if he were indestructible . . .” (198). He also notes: “His keenness, energy, and capacity for hard work drew peoples’ attention” (258).

Lawrence seems to embody the life of someone supremely ambitious who also was talented and enjoyed above average intelligence. Notes Korda, “When he thought that humility and modesty were called for, Lawrence could give an excellent performance of both” (295). Lawrence provides a bundle of contradictions. On the one hand he sought early in life to become famous, yet on the other hand he shunned medals and awards and seemed to despise the limelight. It was noted by one observer that “Lawrence had already mastered the art of seeking to avoid the limelight while actually backing in to it” (356). Lawrence once confessed, “I could flatter as well as flutter” (405).

Lawrence held high standards for himself, and seemed to agonize when he did not meet them. Even while he was enlisting Arabs to fight for their freedom, he was aware that the British and French had already drawn up the infamous Sykes-Picot Agreement that was described as “the product of greed at its worst” (276). As a result, Lawrence felt like a traitor rather than a hero at the war’s end. Once he had freed Damascus, he confessed, “It seemed that I had given them all my gift, this false liberty drawn to them by spells and wickedness, and nothing was left me but to go away” (433). Korda also discusses Lawrence’s strange behavior in hiring someone to physically punish him, as if to make him suffer for his sins. Even in writing best-selling books on the war, he forfeited any royalties so he did not earn money from what he considered to be a dastardly business.

There is, as there is for every hero, a dark side to Lawrence. He suffers at times from depression and even nervous breakdowns. At times during the war, he had to execute wrongdoers and even to kill a close friend, rather than allow him to fall into the torturous hands of the enemy. Lawrence also suffered capture and was brutalized by his enemies. Lawrence watched people butchered in war and witnessed numerous broken promises as well as crass greed and corruption. Out of these experiences, Lawrence did not know how to handle his fame and the adoration of the public. So he changed his name (twice) and joined the Air Force. Once that duty was complete, he joined the army. Yet he refused to accept any rank, even when it was urged upon him by some of the most powerful people in the nation. It is as if he was horrified by what he had done as a leader so he vigorously avoided accepting a role where he would ever have to lead people again. Yet, ironically, he continually exerted influence upon others, even while holding the lowest rank in the military. He wrote letters to prime ministers and kings as well as to the heads of military departments. Notes Korda, “His capacity for extracting awe and respect from his superiors was also undiminished” (670).

Korda notes that, much like Lady Diana would experience later in the century, Lawrence struggled to deal with the adoring mobs that constantly followed him. Lawrence confessed, “I’m very weary of being stared at and discussed and praised. What can one do to be forgotten? After I’m dead, they’ll rattle my bones about in their curiosity” (642). Indeed, even after his death, he has not been forgotten. Over 100 books have been written about him. Several movies, including the most famous, in which Omar Sharif played Lawrence, that garnered ten Academy Award nominations.

Lawrence represents a flawed person who struggled to find the balance between his enormous ambition, his exceptional talents, his high ideals, and the reality of sin and corruption. Religion did not play a significant role in his life. Perhaps the hypocrisy of his mother drove him away from faith, or perhaps his own stubborn determination to live his life his own way kept him from yielding his life to anyone, including God. As a result, we see a talented man who never found the peace he was looking for.

Lawrence summarized his own life best in his own famous words:

All men dream: but not equally.

Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their

Minds wake in the day to find that it was

Vanity; but the dreamers of the day are

Dangerous men, for they act their dream

With open eyes, to make it possible. This I did.

I enjoy biographies, especially well-written ones. I enjoyed this one. Perhaps in part because it addressed the history of the Middle East and helped me gain a better understanding of how it arrived where it is today. Korda is a good writer. He uses numerous quotes and allusions to history that I found interesting. He also occasionally utilizes a humorous writing style, such as when he notes: “Lloyd George had always treated Churchill with the respect most sensible people reserve for a fused hand grenade” (510).

Overall I would conclude that this book would not be the first place you would turn if you were looking for a comprehensive study on leadership. Lawrence would not be the first person I would recommend studying if you wanted to learn great leadership skills. Rather, this deeply flawed, yet brilliant character, operating in a complex and dangerous environment, brings to the surface many of the issues related to leadership. Not being a Christian, we also see the limits to what ambition and talent can accomplish, without the enabling presence of the Holy Spirit and the freedom that comes from God’s grace.

[rating:3]

( Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011 )

215 pgs

Kyle Idleman has written this enjoyable, yet challenging book. Idleman is the teaching pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. It is listed as the fifth largest church in America. On a side note, this church for many years held the distinction of ordering more Experiencing God workbooks every year than any other church in America. Being a mega church, it faced a common problem. It had numerous people attending church but not necessarily following Jesus. The temptation for the pastoral staff was to continue offering programs that would convince people to attend their church instead of the church down the street. But, as many churches, especially larger ones, have discovered, when you cater to consumers, you build a church of consumers. When you build a church with Christ-followers, you end up with New Testament Christianity.

Idleman’s fundamental point is that the church has too many “fans” and not enough followers of Jesus. He defines “fan” as “An enthusiastic admirer” (24). He notes: “And I think Jesus has a lot of fans these days. Fans who cheer for him when things are going well, but who walk away when it’s a difficult season. Fans who sit safely in the stands cheering, but they know nothing of the sacrifice and pain of the field. Fans of Jesus who know all about him, but they don’t really know him” (25). He concludes: “The biggest threat to the church today is fans who call themselves Christians but aren’t actually interested in following Christ” (25).

Overall this is a pretty simple, straightforward book. In the beginning, you sense the author is simply pounding on the same drum as many Christian writers and pastors today, denouncing shallow, lukewarm Christianity. I don’t know that I read much that was “new” in the book. Nevertheless, it does address an extremely relevant subject. Idleman also can be quite funny and has some great “asides” that keep you chuckling even while he is stepping on your toes. Finally, he does offer some fresh insights into several Scriptures that I found refreshing.

Idleman makes the important distinction between “believing” in Jesus and “following” him (32-33). Too many assume that mental assent to certain doctrines and church teachings make them a disciple of Jesus. Yet a disciple is someone who follows Jesus. Idleman has some great questions too, such as, “If following Jesus cost you everything, would it still be worth it?” (66). He also uses some great illustrations, such as the Olympic rifle event in 2004 in which Matt Emmons was almost guaranteed a gold medal until in his final event, he made a perfect shot, on the wrong target (69), and the story of John Akers, CEO of IBM who was told by a rules-conscious teller that his parking pass could not be validated unless he conducted a transaction. In response Akers withdrew 1.5 million dollars and closed down his account, so he could then save money on parking (79).

I enjoyed Idleman’s discussion of the difference between “God with us” and “God in us” (91). He has an interesting point when he speculates about Old Testament heroes such as Moses meeting Christians in heaven and asking what it was like to have God the Spirit swelling “In” us. I also liked his point about people who claim to believe in something but whose life doesn’t demonstrate evidence of that belief. He claims: “A belief, no matter how sincere, if not reflected in reality isn’t a belief; it’s a delusion” (106). I also liked his observation about Jesus’ disciple, Matthew, also known as Levi. He notes that if you named you son Levi, you expected, or hoped, he would one day become a priest (118). Yet instead, Matthew had become a despicable tax collector. After having so utterly failed to meet his parent’s expectations, what a surprise it would have been for the famous Rabbi Jesus to invite him to become one of his students!

I also liked his discussion of flexetarians (vegetarians who don’t eat meat except when they make exceptions!) (147). He notes that is often the way Christians live, following Christ until it is inconvenient. He also notes: “It’s much easier to speak about following Jesus when you are making a general statement without any specific commitments” (176).

I also liked his “Not a fan” segments where people gave testimonials about how they had become a devout follower of Christ. It helped to demonstrate how life-changing, these truths are.

I recently began hearing people talking about this book. I try to keep up with trends and popular thinking among the Christian community, so I picked up the book. It is an easy read and, doesn’t necessarily explore deeply profound, new ground. But it does offer a fresh look at an ongoing problem for the church. It is enjoyably written and does offer some good insights. It will encourage any Christian but may especially be good for those who need to be encouraged to leave the shallow end of the Christian pool and to launch out into the deep.

[rating:3]

( Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2006)

295 pgs

Alan Hirsch is an Australian with a passion for starting church planting movements. He is a church planter, the founding director of Forge Mission Training Network, and a denominational leader. He published this book in 2006, which makes it the oldest book we have reviewed in these pages. However, one of our SNL members asked if I would review this book for the benefit of the SLN members. So I did.

I must say I do not read a lot of books on church planting. However, this book deals with much more than that. He focuses on the nature of the church itself. He also examines the way in which the church is discipling its members. Overall I found this book interesting and filled with information. The following is an overview of some of what struck me most.

First, I have to say that Hirsch apparently likes diagrams. He has lots of them in this book. He also makes use of numerous technical terms, some of which he creates himself. I must admit I always am a bit leery of books that require a glossary of terms at the back of the book for the reader to understand what is being said. At times I found the book getting a bit too technical and diagram driven.

One thing I did appreciate in Hirsch is that, although he brings a rather devastating indictment on the church, I did not find his tone as dismissive or as critical as I have found other writers to be in books such as Revolution or Pagan Christianity. At times, people who critique the church treat it as if it has nothing of value remaining in it. I tend to become sensitive to those who dismiss the church wholesale and then suggest an entirely different approach, which often has not yet been proven to be effective. While I would be the first to agree that the current church needs major improvements, it must be acknowledged that, as imperfectly as it has been functioning of late, it has still managed to bring Christianity from the First Century all the way to the Twenty-First Century. Clearly it has managed to do a few things correctly! I struggle with writers who are unwilling to take the current church from where it is, to where it needs to be.

Hirsch argues that there are “latent inbuilt missional potencies” that lie within every church (15). But to release them, “What we need now is a new set of tools. A new ‘paradigm’—a new vision of reality: a fundamental change in our thoughts, perceptions, and values, especially as they relate to our view of the church and mission” (17). Of course, this is why we read books, to give us a fresh perspective on things we may believe we already know well. Whenever I read such statements from those who are evaluating the effectiveness of today’s church, I always ask two questions: First, is what they are suggesting really a radical new view, or simply a fresh restating of what we already know? Second, is the alternative they are proposing truly workable or merely an idealistic fantasy? I always want the author to tell me of specific examples of where their theory has been put into practice. In this, Hirsch rises to the occasion.

Using calculations from Rodney Stark, Hirsch suggests that there were perhaps 25,000 Christians on the planet by 100 AD. (I personally find this estimate to be low). He then suggests that by 312 AD, there were 20,000,000 (18). He asks how the early church could have experienced such phenomenal growth when they did not have church buildings, formal institutions, or even legality. My first thought was that the church in China actually grew much more rapidly, to a larger size, but that is beside the point. Hirsch is looking at a 212-year period. A lot can happen in two centuries! Nonetheless, he does make a valid point. It would seem that the most rapid advance of Christianity occurred before it had all the tools, structures, and church growth techniques it is blessed with today. Which raises a great question: With so many church growth tools, conferences, books, resources, and theories floating around today, why is the church plateaued or in decline in so many places today?

Hirsch shares candidly about his own journey to learn how to plant healthy, reproducing churches. He relates how, through failure, he came to realize that much of what he was doing was unbiblical and, in the long run, ineffective. He notes that most of the great missional movements have begun “on the fringes” (30). He also suggests that for forty years, the church growth movement focused on helping churches become what people were looking for. It promoted a “consumerist” approach to reaching people (45). Yet Hirsch concludes: “”We plainly cannot consume our way into discipleship” (45).

Hirsch concludes that the key to church growth today is what he terms “Apostolic Genius.” He explains that it is “the total phenomenon resulting from a complex of multiform and real experiences of God, types of expression, organizational structures, leadership ethos, spiritual power, mode of belief, etc. And it is the active presence, or the lack of it, that makes all the difference to our experience of Jesus community, mission, and spiritual power” (78). Hirsch also coins the phrase mDNA which represents the “missionary DNA” that he claims lies latent in every church. The six aspects of the mDNA together form the Apostolic Genius. These six elements are: Jesus is Lord, Disciple making, Misisonal-incarnational impulse, apostolic environment, organic systems, and communitas not community” (79). For the remainder of the book, Hirsch unpacks these key elements that he believes are the essence of a true New Testament church and the answer to today’s church reaching an unbelieving world.

Much of what Hirsch says in the following pages I found interesting and helpful. But I did not like the way he used the phrase “apostolic genius.” For one, I believe the key was not “Apostolic Genius,” but the Holy Spirit. The problem with many of these writers is that they condemn one system as antiquated and dead, and then turn around and propose a new and improved system. The reality is that it has always been the desperate dependence upon the Holy Spirit by His people that has led to the phenomenal growth of the church. Why come up with a new term you have to explain in a glossary at the back of the book? Why not just call it what the Bible does, the Holy Spirit? I found this aspect distracting. While of course Hirsch recognizes the powerful working of the Holy Spirit, that only becomes a piece of the puzzle, rather than the key. Whenever a writer declares he has the key to the church’s 2,000-year-old problem, and it is a new term the author has just coined, I am skeptical. Nevertheless, I think that much of what Hirsch observes is noteworthy. I just wish he had stayed with biblical terms.

Hirsch notes that when the church began to have buildings and to declare them to be “holy” it inadvertently consigned places such as the marketplace or home to appear to be “secular” (95). He rightly notes that this has had a profoundly negative effect on the church. He also claims that the church has largely “lost the art of disciplemaking (104). He suggests we have done this by reducing discipleship to mere intellectual assent. We think because we know something or we believe something, that it is the same as practicing it. He also notes that the shape of most church buildings is designed to accommodate a largely passive congregation (110). He warns that if we do not disciple our people, the culture will (111).

Hirsch also notes that the quality of our discipleship has a direct effect on the quality of church leadership (119). He notes that today’s churches are driven largely by their attempts to “attract” people to attend their services rather than training and motivating their people to be sent out into the world (179). He argues that church follows mission. He claims that when we start with the church, it often fails to become missional. However, if you help God’s people grasp their call to be on mission, they will establish churches with that focus (143). He observes that there is a plethora of leadership resources available to the church today, yet it is suffering serious decline (150). He suggests that the key is “apostolic leadership” (151). I was intrigued by his discussion on this subject. I have read a number of people who mentioned apostolic leadership and there is clearly no consensus on what this means. Often theologies or ecclesiology’s provide different views on the term “apostolic.” This is an area I felt I came away with wanting to study more myself.

He notes that the problem with institutions is that there are too many with a vested interest in keeping things the same (185). He also notes that there are few examples of megachurches that began a church planting movement (215). He also makes the interesting observation that the middle class culture is largely contrary to the missionary impulse (219). Finally, he observes that groups that have gathered for purposes other than missions (prayer, Bible study etc.) rarely move to become missional (235). Yet groups that begin with a mission mindset, often later embrace other features as well, such as prayer and Bible study.

There is much good material in this book. It has some Pentecostal leanings, such as including John Wimber in the list of great church leaders in history who have changed the face of Christianity. Yet Hirsch also seems to be fairly even handed in his biblical and theological approach. He also provides examples from a diversity of denominational and national backgrounds.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I made notes of a number of issues that I felt compelled to do further study on. I also felt like he offered significant challenges to the current church without sounding as if he had already packed his bags and abandoned the existing church. For those wanting their thinking pushed on this subject, this is a good book. At times his pushing of his term “Apostolic Genius” may seem somewhat artificial, but he does offer some helpful insights. I think it is incumbent on every church leader today to be reading in this field and to be open to ways they can lead their church to function in a truly more New Testament manner.

[rating:4.5]

(New York: HarperOne Books, 2012.)

336 pgs

Certain few books and authors have become important anchors for my life and ministry. Down through the years, the truths of Experiencing God have anchored my soul like none other aside from the Bible itself.

Eugene Peterson’s latest book The Pastor, has become another one of those anchor books, not so much for the direct teaching that it contains. Rather, the book is powerful because it evokes memories and personal insights as to ways God has used places, people and experiences to shape my own calling.

Peterson just tells his own story about the formative elements that conspired to form his identity as a pastor, and how God used each of those—people, places, and experiences–as a canvas on which to paint his calling. I love also how he describes His own pastoral calling:

I can be hired to do a job, paid a fair wage if I do, dismissed if I don’t. But I can’t be hired to be a pastor, because my primary responsibility is not to the people I serve, but to the God I serve.

As it turns out, the people that I serve would often prefer an idol who would do what they want done rather than do what God, revealed in Jesus, wants them to do. . . How do I, as a pastor, prevent myself from thinking of my work as a job that I get paid for. . .

How do I stay attentive to listening to the call that got me started in this way of life—not a call to make the church attractive and useful in the American scene, not a call to help people feel good about themselves and have a good life, not a call . . . to fulfill myself.

How do I keep the immediacy and the authority of God’s call in my ears when an entire culture . . . is giving me a job description?         (P. 165)

To understand pastoral calling in this way. A pastor realizes that his primary assignment from God transcends the lesser drudgeries and pleasures that accompany the ‘job’ of a pastor.

An earlier book by Peterson caught my attention years ago–Working the Angles: The Shape of Pastoral Integrity. In it the author assailed pastors who, in his words, have gone whoring after other gods, the gods of success and marketing. Instead, Peterson calls pastors to return to their primary calling which is the three-fold ministry of Scripture, Prayer, and Spiritual Direction.

Peterson pulls no punches—in either book. In The Pastor, though, he pulls back the curtains of his own life to reveal how and why those bedrock convictions formed.

For anyone trying to ‘find themselves’ in ministry, or for the seasoned minister who needs to rediscover or refine their sense of calling, The Pastor: A Memoir will be a helpful companion in your journey. The only negative, quite slight, is that he uses occasional flashbacks which may leave some people wondering which period of his life Peterson is referencing in his various stories.

Review by Bob Royall, D.Min., Leadership Coach and Coach Trainer, BMI and pastor of Horizon Baptist Church, Suwanee, GA.